Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Epworth Local Board have set plans in motion to revive the OlympAfrica project in the dormitory town.
The high-performance multi-discipline arena is the brainchild of one of Epworth’s most illustrious son Musekiwa Kumbula.
However, the project stalled at a time when the International Olympic Committee had pledged an initial US$500 000 towards its construction.
That followed the Epworth Local Board’s failure to vacate illegal settlers at the designated area for the facility.
With the protracted battle between the local authority and the illegal settlers taking too long, the IOC ended up withdrawing the pledged funding much to the disappointment of the whole nation.
Out of several countries in Africa where OlympAfrica donated funds for setting up sports centres, Zimbabwe is the only country, which failed to utilise its opportunity resulting in the funds being recalled, thanks to the lackadaisical approach taken by the Epworth Local Board.
Kumbula’s vision was that the centre would become a necessity to produce outstanding sports men and women, some of whom would go on to win Olympic gold medals or play soccer overseas.
“We are tired of Epworth being associated with crime and other anti-social behaviour” he lamented.
Epworth is teeming with sporting talent as seen by the number of players who came through the Mwalimu Kumbula tournament and are now turning out for PSL teams.
The town has also produced judo, karate and boxing champions who are competing internationally.
But the Epworth Local Board say plans are afoot to resuscitate the vision as per their masterplan.
Town Secretary for the Epworth Local Board Wilton Mhanda said the masterplan has taken into consideration the Olympafrica Centre whose construction could start at the end of next year.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the Mwalimu Kumbula annual tournament where he was the guest of honour at Kubatana Primary last weekend.
The tournament is the brainchild of Mwalimu Kumbula and is sponsored by his father Musekiwa.
Mwalimu is an Advanced Level student at Hellenic Academy.
Mhanda said: “As Epworth, we have handed over our masterplan for approval and it should be coming out soon.
“I can tell you that we will have a lot of sporting facilities in our envisaged new city.
“We are the fifth largest urban settlement in Zimbabwe by population after Harare, Bulawayo, Chitungwiza and Mutare. That means we should also be competitive in terms of everything, giving our children enough space to hone their sporting talents.
“The Olympafrica centre hasn’t died down, certainly.
“It’s very much alive. Once our masterplan is approved, we will then relocate the settlers around the proposed land to where they are supposed to be.
“Then we will commence the construction of the centre. We thank Musekiwa Kumbula for his passion and push.”
The project has been in the pipeline for the past decade.
The IOC had pledged the initial half-a-million funding, through the Olympafrica Foundation.
The settlers refused to leave and pave way for the construction of the centre.
The tensions meant ZOC couldn’t beat the deadline which they had agreed with the IOC, resulting in the withdrawal of the initial US$150 000, which had been handed to them, for the groundwork.
